Machine for dyeing stockings or the like.



F. SIKORA.

MACHINE FOR DYEING STOCKINGS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED'MAR-ZI. [91s.

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MACHINE FOR DYEING STOCKINGS OR THE LIKE.

APPLI CATION FILED MAR-'27. I918.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

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MACHINE FOR DYEING STOCKINGS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2?. 191B.

1 ,301 1 84. Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application filed March 27, 1918. Serial No. 225,001.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK SrKoRA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ma'- chines for Dyeing Stockings or the like, of

\ which'the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a machine for dyeing stockings and other articles of apparel while not necessarily restricted to this use.

An important object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above mentioned character, which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and will effect a substantial saving in the use of liquid dyes and labor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view ofthe same,

Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view through the same,

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4 of Fig. 1, and,

- Fig. 5' is a similar view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 desig nates a base or foundation, upon which are rigidly secured uprights or vertical beams 6, connected, at their upper ends by a transverse member 7. Connected with the upper ends of the beams 6 are/horizontal rods or bars 8, extending downwardly in the form of vertical guide bars 9, having coacting vertical guide bars 10, arranged near and spaced therefrom. The bars .9 and 10 are rigidly attached at their lower ends with-thebase 5.

Connected with the upperends of the uprights 6 are pairs of spaced longitudinally curved guide rods 11,'havinglongitudinal openings 12 therebetween. These guide rods constitute guides or tracks, as shown. The

lower ends of the pairs ofguide rods 11 are rigidly attached to a statlonary outer tank or receptacle 13, having legs or supports 14,

swinging inner tank or receptacle, adapted for movement into and out of the stationary tank 13 and being perforated, as shown. The inner tank or receptacle 15 is provided upon its sides and its forward end with apertured ears 16, receiving pivots 17, secured to the uprights 6. The pivots 17 are arranged at the upper end or top of the perforated tank 15 and the longitudinally curved guide rods 11 are concentric with the pivots 17. Near the opposite or outer end of the perforated tank 15, and at the top thereof, the same i provided with laterally extending pins or elements 18, operating within the longitudinally curved openings 12 between the guiderods 11.

Cables or flexible elements 19 are attached to the top of the perforated trough 15, near its outer side, as shown at 20, and these cables pass about grOOVed pulleys 21, rotatable within brackets 22, secured to the uprights 6, near the upper ends thereof. The

cables 19 are further passed about grooved pulley 23, pivoted upon horizontal bars 24,

attached to the upper ends of the rods or bars 9 and 10. The cables 19 have their free ends connected with weights 25, provided in their ends with openings for slidably receiving the guide rods 9 and 10. These weights are adapted to substantially balance the weight of the perforated tank 15, but

the perforated tank is slightly heavier than. these weights so that it will gravitate to the lower position, when released.

Means are provided to raise the perforated tank 15, comprising a cable or flexible element 26, attached to the outer end of the perforatedtank 15 between the sides thereof,

.as shown at 27. The cable 26 is passed about a grooved pulley 28, which is pivoted upon a shaft 29. This shaft 29 carries the pulleys 21 and has its ends journaled in the brackets 22. The cable 26 extends downwardly over this pulley for connection with a hoist or winch 30, embodying a rotatable drum 31, shown as rotated by a hand crank 32, while the same may be turned by any other suitable means.

When in the elevated position, the perforated tank 15 is adapted to discharge or dump the stockings or the like into an inclined trough, chute or receptacle 33 extending downwardly toward or into the outer tank 13, to conduct the liquid dye back into the same. At the forward or upper end of the trough or chute 33, I provide a wringing mechanism embodying a pair of rolls 34:, between which the stockings are passed for wringing the same.

The stockings, when passing through the wringer, discharge into a preferably perforated removable tank or receptable 35, inserted within stationary rinsing tank or rereceptacle 36, supported by legs 37, fixed to the base 5.

The vertically swinging perforated tank 15 has its sides apertured near their tops, for pivotally receiving a transverse rotatable shaft 38, having a rotatable agitator 39 rigidly secured thereto. This agitator operates within the upper portion of the perforated tank 15, as shown. Rigidly connected with one end of the shaft 38 is a gear 40, contacting with a lower gear 41, rigidly secured to a stub shaft 42. This stub shaft is attached to the tank 1.3. The stub shaft 4:2 has a sprocket wheel t3 rigidly secured thereto, for rotating it. It is thus seen that the gears l0 and 4:1 being free to disengage, upon the upward movement of the perforated tank 15, these gears in no way interfere with such movement of the perforated tank, the shaft 38 being disposed above the top of the tank 13.

The sprocket wheel 43 is engaged by a sprocket chain 4A, engaging a sprocket wheel 45. The sprocket wheel a5 is rigidly secured to a stub shaft 46, having a sprocket wheel 17 rigidly attached thereto. This stub shaft I6 is rotatably connected with the upright 6. The sprocket wheel L7 is engaged by a sprocket chain l8, extending forwardly to engage a. sprocket wheel 49, rigidly connected with the upper roll 34:, to drive the same in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Fig. 9). The shaft 42 is preferably equipped with a pulley 50, whereby the shaft may be driven by any suitable means.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The liquid dye is placed within the tanks 13 and 15, the tank 15 being in the lower or inner position. The stockings or the like are then introduced int-o the tank 15. The shaft 4-2 is rotated and this rotation is imparted to the agitator 39, and the wringing mechanism is also operated. After the stockings have remained in the liquid dye for a suitable period, thehoisting mechanism 30 is operated to elevate the perforated tank -15,*the same subsequently swinging to the lower position'when released. In this elevatedposition, the perforated tank 15 discharges or dumps the stockings saturated with the liquid dye upon the inclined trough or chute 33. These stockings are then passed through or between the rollers 3d of the wringing mechanism, the stockings discharging into the tank .35, while the liquid dye gravitates rearwardly through the trough 33 and is "thereby returned into the tanks 13 and 15,

-36,--the stockings are rinsed, such as with plain water. The perforatedinner tank 35 may now 'be removed and the stockings may be dumped into a truck or the like so that the rinse Water will drain therefrom; s

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

. 1. In apparatus for dyeing stockings or the like, a relatively stationary tank, a perraminous inner tank arranged therein,means T for pivotally supporting the innertank, a receptacle arranged in cooperative relation to the stationary tank and adapted to receive the stockings and liquid dye from the inner tank when it is swung upon its pivot and to hold liquid dye so that it isnot Wasted, said receptacle having means of communication with the stationary tank to return the liquid dye to the stationary tank, and means to swing the inner tank upon its pivot.

3. In apparatus for dyeing stockings and the like, a relatively stationary tank, an inner foraminous tank movable into and out of the stationary tank and having one end thereof pivotally supported, a receptacle to receive thestockings and liquid discharged from the lower end of the foramino-us tank when it is elevated, means to elevate the tatable agitator arranged within and permanently secured to theforaminous tank, a

gear connected with the agitator-to .rotate the same, a gear secured to the stationary tank and adapted to engage with the first named gear when the foramino-us tank is lowlired, and means to drive the gear on the tan 5. In apparatus for dyeing stockings and the like, a relatively stationary tank, an inclined trough arranged near one end of the tank and discharging into the same, an apertured inner tank adapted for movement into and out of the outer tank and pivotally supported at one end near the trough to discharge into the trough when its opposite end is elevated, a curved track arranged near the opposite end of the outer tank and extending above the same, a guide element secured to the corresponding end of the inner perforated tank and engaging the guide element, and means to raise the free end of the inner tank.

6. In apparatus for dyeing stockings and the like, a relatively stationary tank, an inclined trough arranged near one end of the tank and discharging into the same, an apertured inner tank adapted for movement into and out of the outer tank and pivotally supported at one end near the trough to discharge into the trough when its opposite end is elevated, a curved track arranged near the opposite end of the outer tank and extending.

above the same, a guide element secured to the free end of the inner perforated tank and engaging the guide element, a counterweight connected with the free end of the inner tank, and separate means for raising the free end of the inner tank.

7. In apparatus for dyeing stockings or the like, a relatively stationary tank, a foraminous tank adapted for movement into and out of the stationary tank, means to move the foraminous tank out of the stationary tank, a movable agitator arranged within the foraminous tank and permanently secured thereto, a gear connected with the agltator to drive it, a second gear secured to the stationary tank and adapted to engage with the first named gear when the foraminous tank is in the lower position, and means to drive the second named gear.

8. In apparatus for dyeing stockings or thevlike, a relatively stationary tank, a foraminous inner tank adapted for movement into and out of the stationary tank, means to elevate the inner tank with relation to the stationary tank, a transverse shaft connected with the inner tank, a rotatable agitator carried by the transverse shaft and arranged within the inner tank, a gear secured to the transverse shaft, a second gear secured 'to the stationary tank to engage with the first named gear when the inner tank is lowered, and means to drive the second named gear.

9. In apparatus for dyeing stockings or the like, a relatively stationary tank, a foraminous inner tank adapted for movement into and out of the stationary tank, means to elevate the inner tank with relation to the stationary tank, and a movable agitator arranged within the inner tank and permanently carried thereby.

10. In apparatus for dyeing stockings or the like, a relatively stationary tank, a foraminous inner tank arranged within the stationary tank, a receptacle arranged in cooperative relation to the stationary tank and having means of communication therewith to return liquid into the same, and means to elevate the inner tank with relation to the stationary tank and dump the contents of the same into the receptacle.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK SIKORA. Witnesses:

WM. SCHWARTZ, JOSEPH OETTEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained ior five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of re/cents, Washington, D. 0." 

